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concentration-latitude profile was obtained by simply drawing a continuous
curve through the available data points.
From this curve the average fallout concentration expected in ground
level air at the latitude of Bikini Island qai1° 37. N) should be approximately
. 32 aci/m?.
This value cannot be considered to be in disagreement with the
mean concentration detected on the lesser contaminated island of Eneu.”? 5
However, it is not only well below the log normal median (134 aci/m>) or
mean
(186 aci/m>) concentrations on Bikini Island but 1s well below the
range found over the entire Island.
There is little question that the
plutonium levels in air during June 1970 were above fallout background
_ levels for the latitude of Bikini Island.
The only mechanism by which
these levels could have been attained was through resuspension processes on
the Island. The median value at Bikini is very nearly equivalent to the
~ mean air concentration at New York ‘during this period.
It should be
remembered that during 1970 the urine concentrations from Bikini and New
York were also. comparable.
Except for water, no other indigenous material
was consumed at Bikini during the two years before 1970.
From this
comparison of New York and Bikini, the 1970 data strongly suggests there
was a close correlation between aeolian plutonium levels and urine
concentrations.
|
In May 1972, air samplers were again operated on Bikini Island at
four different locations.
Th
e 239,240
Pu air concentration during this
period ranged from less than to 6 to 80 aci/m,!°
The log normal median
concentration over the Island was 21 aci/m and the mean concentration was
34 aCi/m>.
}
In Fig. 2 are plotted the HASL plutonium air concentrations
during May 1972 as a function of latitude. !!
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A smooth continuous curve
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